Today in WW II: 24 May 1941 Battle of the Denmark Strait: German battleship Bismarck sinks British battlecruiser HMS Hood, flagship of the Home Fleet, killing all but 3 of the 1418 crew. More ↓

24 May 1943 Dr. Josef Mengele, German SS officer and physician, becomes the medical officer at Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.
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1941 IH M-1-4 1/2 Ton 4x4 Cargo Truck

The International Harvester M-1-4 1/2 Ton 4x4 Cargo Truck entered service in 1941, produced exclusively for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. The cargo body had removable troop seats and could be fitted with top bows and canvas. Total production was 1123 trucks before being superseded by the very similar IH M-2-4 One Ton 4x4 Cargo Truck in 1942.

The IH M-1-4 is powered by the International GRD-233C 6 cyl, 93hp engine mated to the H-41 4-speed transmission and 2-speed transfer case. Early production used a different engine, the GRD-214B 6 cyl, with 85hp.

Many variations have been noted. The brush guard may have a center section plus wings to protect the fender mounted lights, with a small step between them at the top, as seen in the first photo below. Alternatively, the brush guard may have a smooth curve across the top, including the lights sections. Vintage photos show both single windshield wiper arms and dual arms. To help distinguish from other similar trucks, there are 18 or 20 louvers on each side of the engine compartment and the radiator cap is offset to the passenger side. The spare tire on the M-2-4 One Ton Cargo Truck was mounted lower than on the M-1-4 Half Ton truck.

Use this link to download the Instruction Manual and Lubrication Chart for International Harvester M-1-4-214 and M-2-4-233 4x4 trucks. File is 21MB in PDF format. (Thanks to Bob Friendship, North Devon, UK, for this contribution.)

Find additional photos and hi-res versions of the International Harvester M-1-4 1/2-ton Cargo Truck at the Olive-Drab Military Mashup:

Motor transport unit in the truck area at Marine barracks, New River, NC, May 1942. These vehicles appear to be IH M-1-4 1/2 Ton 4x4 Cargo Trucks.

IH M-1-4 Half Ton 4x4 Cargo Truck Characteristics

Weight, net	4200 lbs.
Length	190 in.
Width	77 in.
Height	80 in.
Wheelbase	113 in.
Tires	7.50x16
Range	260 mi.
Electrical	6 volts

Military trucks produced by International Harvister in the World War II era used a three part model number: M for Military, a second number indicating how many half-tons of off-road capacity, and a third number indicating the number of driven wheels. Example: M-2-4 is a one-ton model, 4x4. In some cases, an additional letter was inserted to further specify the model.

IH M-1-4 Photo Gallerey

1941 International Harvester M-1-4 1/2 Ton Weapons Carrier 4x4 Truck. Photo: Courtesy Dave Klink
1941 International Harvester M-1-4 1/2 Ton Weapons Carrier 4x4 Truck. Photo: Courtesy Dave Klink.